Taylor Frankie Paul, star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and a once-scheduled Bachelorette lead, said this week she is ‘‘forever freed’’ after the Salt Lake County District Attorney declined to file new domestic violence charges. Paul posted about the “ugly parts” of healing on Instagram on April 19–20, describing ongoing PTSD/c-PTSD treatment and plans to share her recovery. The DA’s office, after reviews of investigations by Draper City and West Jordan police, said some alleged incidents were outside the statute of limitations and others lacked sufficient evidence to meet the criminal standard. The developments follow a 2023 arrest, the circulation of a video showing a 2023 incident, ABC’s decision to pull her Bachelorette season and a pause in production on Mormon Wives. Paul and her ex, Dakota Mortensen, have filed mutual restraining orders; a judge awarded Mortensen custody of their toddler son with limited, supervised visitation for Paul pending a protective hearing scheduled for April 30. Paul remains on probation from earlier proceedings and says she is focusing on basic self-care and nervous-system retraining as she rebuilds.

Actor Mindy Cohn announced on April 19, 2026, that she has been undergoing cancer treatment and is now recovering after a recent hospital stay. In an Instagram post the 59-year-old, best known for her role as Natalie Green on The Facts of Life and more recently for Apple TV+’s Palm Royale, said she had been “off social media for awhile ‘cuz I had to go kick cancer’s ass.” Cohn thanked Providence Saint John’s Hospital staff in Santa Monica, naming nurses and oncology surgeon Dr. Anton Bilchik, and praised family and friends who supported her. She did not disclose the type of cancer or details of treatment, saying she will be “recouping for another couple of weeks” before returning to work. Cohn previously disclosed a years-long breast cancer battle that began with a 2012 diagnosis and culminated in remission by 2017 after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The post drew messages of support from fellow actors and public figures.

Indie rock band The Strokes closed their Coachella Weekend 2 set on April 18, 2026, by projecting a politically charged video montage on the festival’s main-stage LED screens as they performed “Oblivius.” The visuals accused the CIA and the U.S. government of historic interventions and assassinations — naming figures such as Iran’s Mohammad Mossadegh, Patrice Lumumba, Salvador Allende and others — and referenced a 1999 civil trial tied to Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. The montage concluded with wartime footage captioned “Over 30 universities destroyed in Iran” and images of Israeli strikes on Gaza that included a clip described as the “last university standing in Gaza.” Clips of the performance went viral on social media; one exceeded 3.7 million views overnight. The footage ran on Coachella’s official livestream; organisers had not immediately commented. The set marked a stark contrast with the band’s earlier weekend appearance and comes as The Strokes prepare to release a new album, Reality Awaits, and embark on a world tour this summer.

Actor and producer Patrick Muldoon has died aged 57, his family said, after suffering a heart attack on the morning of April 19, 2026. A California native from San Pedro and a University of Southern California alumnus who played on the Trojans football team, Muldoon rose to prominence in the 1990s. He originated the role of Austin Reed on the daytime soap Days of Our Lives (1992–95; 2011–12) and played Richard Hart on Melrose Place. On film he was known for his role as Zander Barcalow in Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers (1997). Muldoon also worked as a producer on multiple features and was involved with projects in development, including Kockroach; his latest acting credit, the crime thriller Dirty Hands, is scheduled for release later in 2026. Friends and colleagues remembered him as generous and charismatic; Days of Our Lives co-star Alison Sweeney paid tribute to his kindness. He is survived by his partner, Miriam Rothbart, his parents, and other family members.

Eddie Murphy received the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award at a star-studded ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on April 18–19, 2026. The 65-year-old comedian and actor accepted the 51st AFI honor amid tributes from a Hollywood roster that included Spike Lee, who presented the award, Dave Chappelle, Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Bill Burr, Arsenio Hall and Kenan Thompson. Jennifer Hudson performed a Dreamgirls medley; cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw was presented the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal. Mike Myers made a highly visible tribute in full Shrek makeup to praise Murphy’s Donkey performance. Murphy, who joked about the trophy’s size and reflected on family and gratitude, has a career spanning stand-up, Saturday Night Live and films such as Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, The Nutty Professor and the Shrek franchise. The gala raised more than $2.5 million for AFI educational programs and the tribute will be released as a Netflix special on May 31, 2026.